


A Pocket Full of Tea Leaves

by MapleLemonCandy



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Character Death Fix, Critical Role Spoilers, Fix-It of Sorts, Mollymauk Tealeaf Lives, Mollys a bard now deal with it, Other, Semi-Public Sex, Trans Caleb Widogast, Trans Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-10-12 04:22:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20558171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MapleLemonCandy/pseuds/MapleLemonCandy
Summary: It's cold, his body's sore, and he just dug himself out of a shallow grave.





	1. Chapter 1

He sat on the cold, wet ground, staring at the hole in front of him and trying to catch his breath. The hole he had just woken in, the hole he had desperately dug himself out of no more than five minutes ago. A wooden cross loomed over him, a flamboyant, colourful jacket hanging from it. He picked some dirt from under his long fingernails, unsure of what to do next. He felt a chill run up his spine, and quickly reached for the coat hung on the wooden cross. He slid the jacket onto his shoulders, hugging the fabric to his body. 

A folded up piece of paper fell from the pocket of the jacket, which he quickly reached to pick up. He unfolded the paper, and tried to examine the words written on the page. They were there, all right. He knew how to read, but the way they had been written on this page made it nearly impossible. They seemed to dance around the page, rearranging themselves just to fuck with him.

_“Your name is Mollymauk Tealeaf.”_ Was the first phrase he managed to decode. Soon after, he managed the make out the sentences after it. _“The person writing this is named Caleb Widogast. I am your friend.”_

Mollymauk looked around, trying to take in his surroundings. Rolling hills encircled him, with a few trees dotting the landscape. Thin blankets of bright white coated the scenery, with a dirt road cutting through it. Molly collected the belongings buried with him, then just started following the road. He needed to find someplace warm.

He walked for hours without stopping, just stuck in his own head for the most part. He tried to remember anything he could, anything about his life beforehand, the *friend* who had written him a letter, but the only thing he could remember was a few nameless faces; Three woman, one pale with long, black hair, another tanned with brown hair tied up into a bun, and the final one being a blue Tiefling with a cute bobbed haircut.

The sun was setting, and he still hadn’t found a warm place to rest. His body was shaking from exhaustion and oncoming hypothermia. 

The loud, clopping sound of horse hooves and a moving cart behind him frightened him. Molly heard a neigh from the horses, and they slowed next to him. A tanned, elvish woman sat at the front, chewing on the end of a stock of wheat.

“Not often that I see someone like you around.” The woman driving the cart said. “Where ya headin’, son?”

He couldn’t respond. His voice wasn’t with him.

“Son?” She repeated.

Molly fumbled through the pockets of his coat, until he found the note from Caleb. He landed it to the woman. 

She took a moment to read the letter, then hummed to herself.

“Hop on the cart, son, I’m headin’ through Zadash. I’ll give ya a ride.”

He nodded, climbing into the cart. It was filled with burlap sacks, probably containing the last harvest of crops for the year. She tugged on the reigns, and the horses began trotting again. He cuddled into the sacks. They provided just enough warmth to stop him from shaking.

“My name’s Jozana.” She said, turning to flash him a quick smile. “Are you Mollymauk?”

All he could do was nod.

“What’s wrong, sonny? Cat got your tongue?”

Another nod.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. I bet a cute one like you would be a good talker.”

He grinned at her.

“Should only take us a few days to get to Zadash. I’ll drop you off just inside the gates.”

“Mighty Nein, Mighty Nein,” He repeated softly, over and over, his voice suddenly coming to him.

“Those your friends, right?”

Molly shrugged. Maybe they were his friends, maybe they weren’t. He couldn’t remember.

“Get some rest son, you look like you need it.” 

He nodded, getting comfortable among the sacks. Sleep filled him with a sense of discomfort. 

_It was too dark, and then it was too bright. He turned his head to one side, then the other. He was surrounded by pastel coloured flowers, and bright green grass. It was nice. It was peaceful, it was warm._

_A shadow suddenly loomed over him, which he quickly looked up to examine. The pale woman he’d seen before stood over him, a gentle look on her face. _

_“Hey Molly, I want to try something.” She said. “Can you sit up for me?”_

_“Of course, darling.” He grinned, sitting up. He had suddenly lost control of his body. _

_The woman knelt behind him, her hands tugging at his hair. A few minutes passed before she said, “I’m not as good at braiding as you are, but you look nice with flowers in your hair, Molly.”_

_“Oh, you flatter me, dear.”_

He woke up feeling… comforted, like he had received a hug from a close friend. 

“Mornin’, son. There’s some fruit in some of those sacks. Feel free to take some if you’re hungry.”

Molly nodded, but he didn’t feel like eating.

It felt like forever had passed when they reached the gates of Zadash. Jozana was pleasant company; She always had a kind smile on her face, and the way she talked about her wife and son filled Molly’s heart with joy.

“So, this is your stop then.” She said kindly. “Take care of yourself, sonny. I hope you can find your friends swiftly.”

He nodded, giving a quick bow to thank her after climbing off. She tipped her straw hat before continuing on her journey.

Mollymauk took a deep breath in, taking in the busy city atmosphere. People of all races walked by, some dressed in colourful, eccentric clothing, some in browns, grays, and muted colours, some in rags, some in silks and ribbons. 

He pulled out the letter from Caleb once again, and tried to read it one last time. The words still danced and constantly rearranged themselves, like a marching troop of bards on fucking cocaine. 

He tried to focus harder on the letter, trying to extract any information he could out of it, but he couldn't make out another word. A word formed on the tip of his tongue, and he couldn’t keep himself from whispering it to himself.

_”Lost,”_

An overwhelming anxiety overtook him. What was he supposed to do? What could he do? He didn’t know how to locate his old friends, and he had practically no memory of anything that happened before he woke in that hole in the ground. 

The cold air seemed to cling to him. He couldn’t keep standing out here. He patted down his pockets, looking for any scrapes of gold or silver that had been left on him, just enough for him to get a cheap drink at a cheap tavern and sit someplace warm until they kicked him out. He patted and searched every pocket in his clothes, but they all came up empty. Real shitty of his _friends_ to leave him without any coin but somehow expect him to find his way back to them. 

Fuck it, he’d just walk the streets aimlessly until he found _something_ that might help him make money. Which is what he did. He walked. And walked. And walked, until the sun had set, the streets emptied, and the air around him went from cold to freezing. 

His limbs were getting heavier by the second, until he eventually just sat down next to a building, leaned against the cold wall, and closed his eyes. Maybe looking for his friends wasn’t worth it. Maybe trying to find someplace warm wasn’t worth it. Maybe coming back at all wasn’t worth it. Maybe he should have just stayed in that hole and suffocated. 

Snowflakes landed delicately on his eyelashes, snowflakes he didn’t have the energy to blink away. They painted him in a heavy sheet of white, like a frustrated artist trying to reset their canvas.

_”Blank.”_

_”Empty.”_

A beam of soft light hit his face as a large hand slid under his armpits, pulling him to his feet. He was dragged _somewhere._ His eyelids were too heavy to open. He was placed on some soft surface, heat radiating from an object to his left, and a blanket was placed over him.

“Can you hear me?” A deep, comforting voice asked. Molly gave a weak nod, unable to muster anything else.

“How long were you out there for?”

_”Empty,”_

His voice was hoarse, merely a husk of what it once was.

_“Lost,”_

“Empty? Lost?” The deep voice sounded perplexed. “What does that mean?”

Mollymauk gave no reply. He didn’t know how.

“Uh, can you-can you open your eyes?”

It took more of a struggle than it should have, but his eyelids peeled back, and he met eyes with a gorgeous human man. He had a soft face, brown skin, and the prettiest, long, black hair in tight curls.

“What’s your name?”

“Molly-Mollymauk,” he felt as if his throat were made of nails, scraping against each other as he talked.

“Your name’s Mollymauk?” 

He nodded.

“Stay here for a minute, Mollymauk.” 

The man turned and wandered off. He heard the wood squeaking as he walked out of Molly’s sight, then the sound of something pouring into a cup. He reappeared with a tankard in hand that he held out.

“Here, have a drink.”

With a pained grunt, Mollymauk sat up, and grabbed the tankard. He put the brim to his lips, and took a small sip. It was mulled wine, and damn good mulled wine. It only took Molly thirty seconds to down the rest of the tankard. 

“Can you get up?” He asked. Molly had to exert more force than he should have to stand, and even then he could only stay up for a few seconds before his legs gave in. Luckily, the human’s strong arms caught him before he hit the floor. 

He guided the Tiefling up the nearby staircase, and to the second to last of the identical doors on the left. The door opened, revealing a reasonably nice inn room with a fluffy looking bed, a clean, wooden desk and matching chair, and a few unlit candles.

“My name’s Emile, by the way.” He said as he helped Molly lay down. 

He left quickly, and Molly cuddled with the pillow next to him. His body seemed to sink into the bed as consciousness left him.

For awhile, there was just black. Textured black, strands of black hair.

_“Are you almost done, Molly?” _

_The voice was a bit deep, but soft and sweet. He looked down to find his hands working busily, making intricate braids in the mass of hair in front of him. Without his signal, his mouth moved, words pouring smoothly from his lips._

_“Just another minute, darling. You’re going to look stunning.”_

And then it was gone again. His eyes opened, and he was in the inn room. It was quiet. He glanced to the window, and spent a minute to watch the snowflakes fall passed.

There was a soft knock on the door.

“Mollymauk?” Emile opened the door just ended to poke his head into the room. “Do you need help getting downstairs for breakfast?”

Molly shook his head, pulling himself out of bed. He had to hold onto the wall, but he was able to make it out of the room, and down the stairs. 

“Just have a seat at one of the tables, Mollymauk, and I’ll have breakfast ready soon.” 

A few minutes later, Emile had placed a plate of food in front of him. Molly ate slowly, the large stack of breakfast meats and bread making him feel a bit sick.

Molly looked up as another person descended from the staircase. They had long, blond hair and typically Elven features. 

“Good morning, my Sunflower.” Emile said with a smile.

The blond glanced over at Mollymauk.

“Is this the one you told me about, Emi?” They asked.

“Yeah, that’s Mollymauk. Mollymauk, this my partner, Lynn.”

“They are quite cute. I hope you’re feeling better, Mollymauk.” Lynn said

He gave a quick nod, shoving another piece of bread into his mouth. 

“Can you speak, hon?”

Before he could reply himself, Emile cut in. 

“He can’t speak well. But I can help him work on that, Lynn.”

“That doesn’t make this any less wonderful, Emile. Having a cute barmaid like this one will surely skyrocket the business.”

Molly flashed Emile a confused look. 

“Uh, yeah, you fell asleep last night before I could tell you. We’re really only gonna be able to let you stay here if you work for us.”

That seemed fair. He didn’t want to just freeload off other people all the time.

“Can you talk any better than last night?”

“I thi-I think so.” He said softly. 

“With someone as cute as you, I don’t think you’ll even need to talk to pack in the customers.”

Lynn’s comment made him smile. Fuck yeah, he _was_ cute. He was super fucking cute.

Maybe everything would end up okay. Maybe he would be better off staying with Emile and Lynn.

“Finish your meal and I’ll start your training, Mollymauk.” 

Molly nodded.

—

“Alright, so if you need to bring out a lot of drinks, you put them on a tray, and balance the tray on your palm like this.” Emile demonstrated carrying the tray, then handed it to Molly. “You try.”

Molly balanced the tray carefully on his open palm, trying hard to control the light shaking in his wrist. 

“Alright, that’s good. When an order’s gonna go out, I’ll tell you which table to go to, and then just put the drinks on the table.”

He nodded yet again. 

“Try to practice talking too. Once you get your voice back, I’ll give you some more things to do.” 

—

After a few months of working for Emile and Lynn, and doing vocal exercises, Lynn sat him down while the tavern was empty. They had a hand harp with them, and plucked away at the strings slowly. 

“Have you ever played one of these before?” They asked.

“No I don’t- I don’t believe I have.” Molly replied.

“Well, you’re going to learn. And then we’re gonna have you play music in here every once in a while. Liven the place up a bit. Can you sing?”

“I… I don’t know. I don’t know if I ever tried.”

“Just do what I do, Mollymauk. I have faith that you’ll pick this up quickly.”

Lynn played a few simple cords on the hand harp, then handed it to Molly. “You try.”

He plucked at the strings nervously, not wanting to break the delicate-looking strings. He stopped, glancing up at Lynn for approval. They smiled at him.

“Wonderful. You’re going to bring so much business to us, Molly dear.”

Molly grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

_”Hey, Molly,” there was a light squeeze on his arm, and a gentle shake. “You can’t just nap on the grass all day, silly.”_

_“Mmm, but it’s so warm and soft here.” He replied, keeping his eyes closed. “Come and try it, dear.”_

_“I already did yesterday, Molly.”_

_“Aw, come on, Yasha.”_

Molly opened his eyes suddenly, that name running circles in his mind. _Yasha. Yasha. Yasha, Yasha, Yasha._

The door opened with a creak, and Lynn stepped in.

“You up, Molly?” They asked.

“Yeah, I’m up.” He yawned, sitting up and stretching.

“Emile’s got breakfast on the table. Eat up, and then I’m going to take you shopping.”

“Shopping for what?”

“Oh Molly, did you think I was going to let you keep walking around with all that dirt? And in those rags?”

“Oh,” he looked down at himself, examining the rips and dirt on his shirt. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“You’ll look so good in some leather pants.”

—

“I think we’re almost to Zadash.” Caduceus said, glancing over his shoulder at the rest of the Mighty Nein. 

“I can’t wait to get a fucking drink.” Beau sighed, stretching her arms above her head. “Maybe we should stay someplace new.”

“Ja, that would be good for some non-life threatening excitement.” Caleb said.

“Hope we can find somewhere with good companions. I think we could all use some... release.”

Caduceus slowed the cart as they reached the city, allowing the party to examine the bars and inns as they passed by.

“Oh, oh! How about we stop there?” Jester reached out of the cart and pointed at a sign above an inn. Caduceus squinted, but couldn’t read the words.

“What does that sign say, Jester?” He asked.

“It says, _A Home Away From Home, now with live performances from our lovely Lavender.”_

“A live show sounds nice.” He smiled, scanning the area for somewhere to park the cart. While Caduceus secured the cart, the rest of the Mighty Nein hurried into the mostly unimpressive bar. The one eye catching piece of the bar was the stage; The dark wood seemed to shine silver, and was framed by golden curtains.

They made their way to an empty table near the stage, and sat for a few minutes as the bar filled up.

“This Lavender must be a really good performer.” Jester said. 

“Yeah, this pace is pretty packed.” Fjord replied.

“But they’re not going to be as good as my mom.”

Caleb bought everyone the first round of drinks, and they got settled in their seats and waited for the live show to start. Yasha had bought the group a second round by the time the lights dimmed. A blond half elf walked onto the stage, playing a short tune on the harp they carried. They then looked up, and scanned the audience.

“Seems we have quite the full house tonight. Our Lavender will be very pleased that all of you came to see this performance.” The elf smiled gently. They played for another few minutes, before stopping, and looking off stage. “If you wouldn’t mind taking the stage, Lavender.”

The whole crowd watched with an intense stare as a purple Tiefling, wearing a flowing black dress, and covered head to toe in flashy golden jewelry with big, shiny gems hanging from their horns took the stage. The tiefling’s purple hair hung in large, flowing curls, framing their face like an extravagant picture frame. 

A chill ran up the spines of every member of the Mighty Nein, the thought passing through their heads at the same time. 

_Mollymauk._

They stood in the middle of the stage, hips pushed out to the left to give them a more femine-looking frame. The half elf passed off the harp, and Molly began playing beautiful tunes. They hummed along for awhile, before they started to sing.

_“Far off in the woods_  
The young man lies  
Awoken by  
The selfish wolf’s cries  
A muddied face  
And tired eyes  
The secluded place  
Where the young man lies 

_Far off in the woods_  
A secret stays  
Forgotten, misunderstood  
Pockets filled with broken dreams  
Falsehoods, deceit, and ripped seams  
A memory left empty, void of thought  
No permitted entry, no matter who sought.” 

Yasha stood up, and quickly walked out of the bar. Beau followed behind her after a few minutes.

Lavender finished their performance, took a deep breath in, then said, “If any of you are interested in… spending a bit more time with me, have a word with our darling bartender.”

They walked off stage as the sounds of applause filled the room. The lights brightened, and the normal bar atmosphere returned. The members of The Mighty Nein who remained at the table all exchanged glances with each other, the same thoughts passing through their heads. That wasn’t Mollymauk, it couldn’t be. Molly was dead, they’d watched him die, they’d seen his grave. He was dead. Caduceus had turned him into mulch in front of them. 

Caleb stood up, and rushed over to the bar.

“Excuse me.” He muttered, lightly tapping his fingers against the counter top.

Emile turned to him. “Oh, yes? How can I help you?”

“I would like to inquire about spending a night with that Lavender of yours.”

“Alright. For a night, it’ll cost you-” he glanced down at a book on the countertop, “it’ll cost you forty-five gold.” 

Caleb counted out the money, then dropped it on the table. 

“Our Lavender stays in room 120. I hope you enjoy your time together.”

Caleb nodded, then marched back over to the confused Mighty Nein.

“I have bought us a night with Mol- that Lavender fellow. Whoever wants to come with me can.” 

“I’ll come with you, Mr. Caleb.” Caduceus said.

“Me too, I want to see Molly again.” Jester added.

“Ja okay, follow me.”

They followed Caleb up the staircase, and to the room he was directed. He knocked on the door, and waited, until Mollymauk opened the door. His jewelry jingled as he peeked out.

“Oh my,” a smile crossed Molly’s face. “It’s not very often I get groups coming to keep me company, especially not groups of such attractive people.”

He scanned the faces of the group members; A human with reddish hair, a firbolg who had to crouch in the hallway, and- the blue tiefling girl whose face had crossed his mind when he first woke up.

“Mollymauk, this is not the time for playing around, ja?” Caleb said sternly. “May we come in?”

“Well, of course. Did you think I was gonna have an orgy with you in the hallway?” There was a hint of confusion in his voice.

“Nonono,” a tinge of red spread across Caleb’s face as he pushed into the room, Jester and Caduceus following quickly behind.

He took another moment to examine this *Lavender* further. Under the sheer robe, he could see the familiar tattoos and scars. This was *their Molly.* There was no other explanation. No one else had scars like that. No one else had tattoos like that.

Soon, Jester had her arms around her fellow Tiefling, holding him tightly.

“I’ve missed you _so_ much, Molly, why didn’t you come to find us?” She asked.

“I’m- I’m afraid I’m missing something here.” Molly laughed softly. 

“I’m a bit confused here too, but I think we’re your friends- well, they’re your friends.” Caduceus added.

“Oh! Is this related to the letter I had on me? Are you, Ca… Caleb Wido- Caleb Wido-something?” He pointed at Caleb.

“Widogast, yes.” Caleb nodded. “And you, Mollymauk Tealeaf, are our friend, and we’ve missed you very much. Why didn’t you come to find us?”

Caleb stepped closer, awkwardly wrapping his arms around him and Jester. 

“I’m very, very sorry to tell you this, but I don’t really- I don’t really remember a lot about you guys. I remember your face,” he gestured to Jester, “and I remember two other women. That’s it, unfortunate.”

“Why didn’t you follow the instructions on the letter I left with you?”

“Dear, I can barely read.”

“Uh, ja, that sounds like… a problem.”

“You never told us you didn’t know how to read, Molly.” Jester said.

Molly just shrugged. What the hell was he supposed to say to these people?

“I am, and I am sure we all are, just happy to have you back, Mollymauk.” Caleb muttered.

“Have me back?” Molly raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah! Now that you’re back again, we can go travelling together like we used to! Doesn’t that sound like fun?” Jester asked.

“What makes you think I want to leave my life behind for you people?”

“You don’t want to travel with us, Molly?”

“Well, I don’t know. I barely know you people, I thought you were just clients. I don’t know who you really are, you could be a bunch of murders! Besides, I’m not an adventurer. I’m not a fighter. I’m a musician, and a bartender. And I’m mostly happy where I am, I’m mostly happy with who I am, and as far as I’m concerned, the Molly you know is mostly dead.”

_”Mostly?_ I heard you right, ja?”

“Yes, you did.”

“You _mostly_ like your life here, our Molly is only *mostly* dead, so let me make a deal with you.” Caleb’s hand squeezed his shoulder, and Molly felt a strange feeling overtake him. He suddenly felt comfortable around these people.

“Go on,”

“Give us two weeks. Let us give you a taste of what your life used to be, and then you can decide which you like better, ja?”

“Sure, what could possibly go wrong?”

“Thank you.” There was a pause, Caleb’s hands lingering on Molly’s body, before he changed his attention to Caduceus. “Er, Mr. Clay, I think it would be beneficial for Mollymauk to talk to Yasha again. Do you mind going to find her?”

“Oh, not at all.” Caduceus smiled gently, turning and leaving the room. 

Yasha was sitting at their table with Fjord and Beau, slamming back drinks. Caduceus placed his hand gingerly on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Miss Yasha, but Mr. Caleb would like to see you upstairs.”

She gave a nod, chugging the last bit of her drink before standing up. Caduceus could feel the tension radiating off of Yasha in his bones. She followed him back up the stairs.

“Hey,” Caduceus said softly once they were far enough in the hallway that they felt alone. “It seems like you aren’t doing great right now. If you need to talk or anything, just let me know. I’m more than willing to try to give you some support.”

“Thank you.” She replied.

Caduceus stayed by the door while Yasha walked into the room. 

Molly made eye contact as soon as she entered the room. It was an intense, unbreaking stare that made Yasha feel unsettled. She felt a pull in her chest, pulling her towards Molly. She resisted it.

“You’re the woman from my dreams.” He said. “I br- I braided your hair, I braided flowers into it, in my dreams. _Yasha.”_

Her expression softened, her shoulders fell, and she had to stop herself from absorbing him in a hug. 

“You remember me, Molly. That means so much to me.”

“Well, I only remember a few things I’ve seen in my dreams.”

“Uhm,” Yasha looked back and forth between Jester and Caleb. “Do you mind giving us some time alone?”

“Ja, sure.” Caleb put a hand on Jester’s shoulder, and lead her out.

The door closed behind them, and Yasha moved to wipe a few tears from the corners of her eyes.

“Oh, please don’t cry, darling. I’m not good with crying people.” 

“Molly, can you… can you please tell me what you remember about our time together?”

“Hm. I vaguely remember a-a travelling circus, or a carnival, or something of the sort, and working for it. I remember braiding hair, your hair, quite a bit. I remember… you leaving for periods at a time, and being upset about it. I remember us being really close.”

There was a soft smile on her face. A kind, gentle smile.

“Are you going to come travel with us again?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Yasha nodded. “I’ve really missed you, Molly.”

Molly was unsure of what to say. He felt like a heavy weight had been placed on his chest, and his head felt light.

“If I stayed here after the rest of the group left town, would you be okay with that?”

“I-I don’t know.” 

“What if I tried to get a job here? I’m sure you could use some security with all the people coming in for your performances.”

“Having a bit more muscle in this place would be nice. Someone like you would be helpful to have around when clients get rowdy.”

“Well, we’ll see how things go, and if you don’t want to leave this place, I’ll talk to the bartender about my possible employment. It’ll be like how it used to be in the circus.”

Molly grinned.

“Hey, Yasha?” He asked.

“Yes Molly?”

“Do you mind if I try to braid your hair again?”

“Oh, go ahead.”

Molly lead her over to his big, soft bed. After she sat down, he crawled behind her, and began braiding the wild hair in front of him.

“Tell me about you, Yasha. Tell me about us. Tell me all the things I used to know.”

“Oh, well, we used to be best friends. You were one of the only people I was really open with. We loved each other. And we used to hug and cuddle a lot too, especially back when we worked with the circus. We didn’t have anything too warm or comfortable to sleep in there, so we were basically just a big cuddle pile in the back of the carts. I miss it. They were simpler, easier, days.”

“How long did we know each other?”

“It was around a year by the time you passed.”

“I’m- I’m sorry for hurting you.”

He placed his hands on her shoulder, and Yasha laid her hand on top of his. She squeezed it gently. He could feel a tug on his heart, a tug towards Yasha, as if they were physically tied together.

“You were doing what you thought was best, Molly.”

“I hurt everyone, didn’t I?”

“You did Molly, but you don’t know the whole story. I don’t know if I do either, but I can tell you what I know.”

He nodded.

“What I was told was that everyone was in a bad position. The man you were fighting was just too strong for everyone at the time. Everyone was very, very hurt. And you gave up your life for them. They made you an _example,_ and let the rest go. If you hadn’t done what you did, Molly, all of us would be dead. You’re like… like our hero. We all love you so much, Molly.”

A few moments passed before he muttered, “Hey, Yasha?” 

“Yeah Molly?”

“Can we try cuddling again?”

“Of course.” 

Yasha laid down on the bed, and he laid next to her. Molly rested his head on her arm. It felt comfortable and natural. 

Molly’s head started to feel fuzzy. He wrapped his arms around Yasha. 

“Are you feeling okay, Molly? You look a bit pale.”

“Just- this is a lot. I’m trying processing everything.”

“Are you sure? Should I go get Caduceus?”

“I’m fine, I promise.”

“Alright. Just try to get some rest, Molly. You seem like you need it.”

“Can I just ask for one favour from you first?”

“Yes?”

“Stay here with me tonight, please.”

“Of course, Molly. I’ll be right here all night.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! I got sick and didn’t have the energy to do any writing for awhile

_Molly watched as his body hit the ground like a lead weight on a glass pane. It was a weird, out of body experience. He tried to move, run towards his body, as a man stood over him, the blade of a glaive to his chest, about to stab him as others- his friends, watched in shock. _

_Molly spat blood into the man’s face, and he laughed._

_“Respect,”_

_The glaive plunged into his chest, and the man turned it._

_Molly squeezed his eyes shut, panicking, trying to will himself somewhere else. He felt a gust of wind, and a tug, and then he was elsewhere. He opened his eyes, and looked around. This place was familiar, but where was it? His friends stood in front of him, in a semicircle around… something._

_He tried to push them away, to see what they were surrounding, and found that he was able to walk right through them. Once he was at the front, he could see where they were._

_His gravesite. This is where he had been buried, where he had woken up that cold day. His friends were gathered around his grave, and he was standing in front of them._

_“What’s going on?” Yasha’s voice echoed from behind him._

A loud crash of thunder caused Molly to jolt awake. He looked around the room quickly, scanning for potential danger. His heart pounded in his chest.

“Yasha! Yasha, Yasha, Yaaasha!” Jester called out as she knocked on the room door. “Did that wake you up?”

Yasha looked over to Molly, took a moment to examine his scared expression, then stood up. She didn’t make a sound. She walked to the room door, and opened it.

“People are sleeping in here, Jester. You scared Molly.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Yasha. I didn’t mean to. We were just having a hard time waking you up.”

“We’re going back to sleep.”

“I’m sorry Yasha, but I need to get ready for work.” Molly said.

“Oh. Well, I’ll let you get ready then.” 

She walked out, and closed the door. Molly took a deep breath. He thought he could feel a dull pain in his chest as Yasha got farther away.

Molly shook his head, and began looking through his wardrobe to pick something to wear. His eye was caught by the colourful, patchwork coat that had been marking his grave. It was the first time it had interested him in months. He decided to wear it.

—

“Hey, bartender!” Beau called out. “Can we get another round and some more bacon over here?”

“Comin’ right up!” Emile smiled, filling their cups and handing them off to Lynn.

“Hey, Lynn, right?” Beau asked.

“Yes hun?” They replied.

“Sorry if this question is a bit too… personal, but how does Molly feel about being here and doing- what he does for you?”

“Well, I’d assume he’s happy. He’s still here, and he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would just stay somewhere where he’s not happy.”

“Thanks.”

Lynn nodded before walking away to tend to other patrons.

Molly’s heels clacked on the floor as he walked down the stairs. He tied his hair into a low ponytail, and began his day of work. Molly grabbed a tankard from the bar, and brought it over to a patron sitting close to the Mighty Nein.

“Dressin’ pretty today, eh Molly?” The man smiled.

“Always am, Bruth.” Molly smiled back, putting a hand on his hip.

“How much would I have to pay for you to have dinner with me?”

“More than you could afford.” He laughed.

“Come on, Molls, let me have some hope.”

“Not with your tiny coin purse.”

Molly’s hand brushed against Bruth’s shoulder, before he wandered back to the bar to collect more orders, and flirted with almost everyone. After a few hours, most of the Mighty Nein had left the inn to do small tasks, but Caleb and Caduceus stayed. Caleb watched carefully as Molly worked.

“Hey Lynn,” Molly said. “I’m taking my break.”

“Alright. See you in an hour.” 

A feeling of jealousy had been building up within him over the hours. He knew he shouldn’t feel that way, he knew Molly was allowed to do whatever he wanted and wasn’t tethered to anything or anyone, but he couldn’t help but think of the past.

Mollymauk began to walk up the stairs, and Caleb quickly got up to follow him. Once they were in the hallway, Caleb called out, “Mollymauk, do you have a minute?” 

Molly turned to him, and hummed in response. 

Caleb closed the gap between them, looking up at him.

“What? Are you regretting not taking the opportunity to fuck me last night?” He said with a laugh. 

“I am a little bit, ja.”

“Well, what are you gonna do about it?”

Caleb put his hands on Molly’s hips, fingers digging in a bit, and pinned him to the wall behind him. They stood there for a moment, before Caleb whispered, “Can I kiss you?”

”Sure, darling.”

Caleb pressed their lips together. His hands roamed Mollmauk’s clothed body. Caleb had forgotten how much he loved Molly’s body, his narrow waist, perfect hips, plump thighs, Caleb loved every part of him. The Tiefling’s hands tangled themselves in the human’s hair, tugging at it gently.

Caleb began to fumble with the buttons on Molly’s shirt, exposing him for the world to see. His fingers moved to his nipple, where he found an unfamiliar ornament hanging. Caleb gave it a tug. Mollymauk moaned softly.

“I appreciate the new piercing, Mr. Mollymauk.” Caleb muttered.

“So do my other patrons.” He replied.

Caleb’s fingers dug into Molly’s skin a bit more with that remark. He glanced down, and seen the bulge in the Tiefling’s leather pants. He turned to leave, but Molly’s caught his wrist.

“You don’t have to leave me yet, dear. I have the next hour o-“

“No,” Caleb said, pulling his wrist free and walking back down to the bar below. He found his way back to the table where Caduceus was sitting and sipping on a cup of warm milk.

“Are you alright, Mr. Caleb?” He asked.

“Ja, ja, I’m fine, Caduceus.”

“I’ll be here if you want to talk. Just come find me, okay? I know this must be hard on you.”

Caleb nodded. Caduceus squeezed his shoulder, then placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

—

Molly’s chest rose and fell rapidly, and he moved his arm to wipe sweat from his forehead. He couldn’t stop thinking about Caleb, and his perfectly messy hair, and his cute eyes, and his stubble… 

He wondered what their relationship had been like before he died. Maybe they were lovers. Maybe Caleb had been pining for him, but was never given the chance to confess. Caleb had pinned him to a wall and made out with him, which must mean something, right?

Or maybe it didn’t mean anything, and Molly was thinking about it too much. He sighed, rubbed his eyes, and rolled over onto his side. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about kissing Caleb. He wanted to kiss him again, and again, and again, everyday, until he didn’t have lips left. They _must_ have had something. They _had_ to. And he wanted whatever it was back.

He’d never found himself wanting something like a relationship before, but he did now. Molly could feel a tug in his chest. It was like a string was being wrapped around his heart, and pulling it elsewhere.

There was a knock on the door.

“Hey Molls, your break’s over.” Lynn yelled.

“I’ll be out in a minute, darling.” He replied, pulling himself lazily off the bed, and collecting his clothes. 

He reappeared in the bar, hair messy, and clothes wrinkled.

“Oh Molly,” Lynn said, “you are a mess. Come here, baby.”

He walked over, and Lynn immediately began pulling at his hair, combing through it with his fingers, and pulling it into a bun. He straightened out Molly’s clothes, then turned him to face them.

“You look upset, hun.” They said. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. It’s just… been a long day.”

“I think a few days off would do you some good.”

“Are you sure about that, Lynn? Aren’t you guys busy around here?”

“Don’t worry about it, Molly. Take the rest of the day off, and don’t do a single bit of work for the next four days. Emile and I will be fine here. Okay?”

He hugged them, whispering a few “thank you,”’s.

“Go spend some time with those old friends of yours, hun.”

Lynn gave him a kiss on the forehead, and watched as Molly wandered over to Caleb and Caduceus’s table.

Caleb eyed him as he pulled out an empty chair, and turned it around to sit in it backwards. He sprawled his arms out, taking up about half of the table. 

“You two look like you could use a bath.” He said. “Care to accompany me to the bathhouse? It’ll be my treat.”

“That sounds nice.” Caduceus smiled goofily, closing his eyes and picturing himself cuddled up and cozy in a cute teacup.

“Uh, ja, sure.”

—

Molly shelled out some extra gold to buy the three of them a private room in an already upscale and expensive bathhouse. He had plans. Big plans.

An employee showed them to their room, which was on the top floor. The employee opened the door, and let the three of them peer in. The white tiles were so clean they seemed to sparkle, and the water in the bath had colourful flower petals floating in it. The back wall was taken up entirely by a window, which connected to a skylight.

“This is really pretty.” Caduceus said.

“Best place in town. Lynn brings me here every once in a while for a girls' night.”

The three stripped down, and made their way into the bath. Caduceus quickly let his body sink into the warm, steaming water. It felt like he was sitting in his tea kettle, and he loved it. Maybe it would taste as good too?

Caduceus suddenly began to cough violently. Caleb’s hand quickly found its way to his shoulder.

“Mr. Clay, are you okay?” 

“Don’t-,” he coughed again, “don’t drink the water. It is not tea.”

Molly laughed. A few moments passed in silence.

“Er, Mollymauk? Can I ask you something?”

“Yes, darling?”

“Why did you invite us to come here with you?”

“Well, I figured it would be nice to spend some more time with people I used to be friends with. Plus, I can only start a friendship ith someone once I’ve seen them naked.”

Caduceus’s face twisted in confusion. “That’s not something I’ve heard before.” 

“Mmhmn,” Molly nodded, “less talky more bath.”

He slumped down in the warm water, and closed his eyes. All was calm for a few moments, when Molly suddenly felt a hand on his thigh. He looked over, and spotted Caleb. There was a suspicious amount of red on his face.

A smirk crossed Molly’s lip, and he moved his hand to squeeze Caleb’s inner thigh. The human’s back stiffened. He squirmed as Molly’s hand moved to a more scandalous place.

Caleb leaned over briefly, whispering words of encouragement to Molly. The Tiefling smirked, and began to rub Caleb’s clit.

“Are you alright, Caleb?” Caduceus asked.

“Huh? O-Ohh. Ja, Ja, Caduceus. I’m-I’m, oh-okay.”

“You look pretty red there, Caleb. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes-“ Molly’s finger slid into him, *”yes.”*

“Okay. Let me know if that changes.”

Caleb chewed on his bottom lip as Molly slid a second finger into him. He glanced at the Tiefling from the corner of his eye. He tried as hard as he could to keep it together, to stay silent and unreactive. But a soft moan fell from his lips anyway.

“Oh. Should I leave?” Caduceus asked.

“Not unless you want to.” Molly replied.

Caleb’s thighs were quivering. He leaned over and buried his face in the Tiefling’s shoulder. He began muttering profanity under his breath, his head going blank, a loud moan falling from his lips. Caleb found himself falling into Molly’s arms, his chin on the other’s shoulder.

“Is he okay?” Caduceus asked, concern in his voice.

“He’ll be fine. He just needs a minute.”

_”Gods,”_ Caleb muttered. “I forgot how good you are, Mollymauk.”

He laughed.

“I think maybe we should leave.” Caduceus said, pulling himself out of the bath.

Molly nodded, helping Caleb out of the bath and onto his feet. The three dried off in the towels provided, and got themselves dressed. Caduceus left first. Molly was about to walk out, when Caleb’s hand squeezed his shoulder.

“Can I meet you in your room later to continue… this?” He whispered.

“Of course, darling. I’ll be there all night. The door’ll be open. Come in whenever you please.”


End file.
